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K N I T 4 0 F A B U L O U S D E S I G N S

CORNELIA TUTTLE HAMILTON

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Knitting ■ Crafts$24.95 US

$31.95 CANADA

[NORO

Cover photography by Cornelia Tuttle HamiltonAuthor photo by Michael Luppino

Sixth&Spring Books233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013

www.sixthandspringbooks.com

C O R N E L I A T U T T L E H A M I L T O N

Take an inside look at how Noro yarns are made in this celebration of some of the world’s most beloved fibers. Designer Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton has been workingwith Noro yarns for more than 25 years,and her innovative knitwear designs reflecther thorough understanding of the unique properties of these remarkable yarns.

Projects include:■ A patchwork sweater in dazzling

jeweltones■ Three matching scarf and hat sets■ A kimono-inspired pullover■ A long, comfy cardigan with vertical

and horizontal stripes■ An adorable sleeveless hoodie■ Two fun and flirty “origami” bags ■ Even a sweater for your favorite pooch!

When Cornelia Hamilton puts her con-siderable design talent to the wonderfulyarns from Noro, it’s a marriage made in heaven. Here, a collection of her bestNoro designs accompanies the Norostory. A treat!

—Elsebeth Lavold, designer

With Noro, Hamilton sees possibilities and design directions impossible in otheryarns. Visiting Japan and meeting EisakuNoro himself for the first time added another dimension to her appreciation of his groundbreaking work. She has raregifts. Together, Hamilton and Noro present a sensibility that’s vivid, tactile,breathtaking.

—Julia Grunau, patternfish.com

The first time I saw a Cornelia TuttleHamilton design in Noro, I finallyunderstood the power of Noro yarn.In a master’s hands, the colors Mr. Noro so carefully places in sequence come alive. This book isan inspiring read for those who love Hamilton’s work as I do, and an informative one for those who wishto learn more about the mysteriousMr. Noro.

—Amy Singer, knitty.com

Made from rich natural materials and employing innovative color-blending techniques with long-repeatvariegation, Noro yarns are acclaimedworldwide. For NORO, designerCornelia Tuttle Hamilton traveled toJapan to meet the enigmatic artist anddiscuss his craft, his continuingcommitment to sustainability and hisunwavering dedication to yarn-makingas an art form. The result is thisbeautifully illustrated guide. Packedwith color photographs and insightsinto the world of Noro, it features 40stunning projects, including pullovers,cardigans, accessories and more.

Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton is anexpert on knitting with Noroyarns and has published manybooks of patterns featuringNoro and other yarns. A native New Yorker, she haslived in Sweden for 25 years.

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NOROM E E T T H E M A N B E H I N D T H E L E G E N D A R Y Y A R N

K N I T 4 0 F A B U L O U S D E S I G N S

C O R N E L I A T U T T L E H A M I L T O N


Sixth&Spring Books233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013

Copyright © 2009 by Cornelia Tuttle HamiltonPhotographs by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, except pages31–33 and 66–73 by Johan Rönn.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording, or information storage-and-retrievalsystems—without written permission of the publisher.Some of the patterns in this book were first publishedby Knitting Fever Inc.The written instructions, photographs, designs, projectsand patterns are intended for the personal, noncom-mercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federalcopyright laws; they are not to be reproduced in anyform for commercial use. Permission is granted tophotocopy patterns for the personal use of the retailpurchaser.

Managing Editor | Wendy WilliamsSenior Editor | Michelle BredesonArt Director | Diane LamphronGraphic Designer | Liz Hait

Vice President, Publisher | Trisha MalcolmCreative Director | Joe ViorProduction Manager | David JoinnidesPresident | Art Joinnides

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009927134ISBN: 978-1-933027-87-6

Manufactured in China1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2First Edition

www.sixthandspringbooks.com


� Acknowledgments 6

� Introduction 7

� Noro: An Inside Look 8

� Patterns

Jacaranda Wrap Top 20

Benedikta Patchwork Sweater 24

Mazatapec Hat and Scarf 28

Klaralund Kimono Sweater 31

Ekeby Vest 34

Lotorp Origami Bag 38

Hedvig Rollneck Sweater 41

Cuernavaca Collared Tank 44

Victoria Cabled Pullover 48

Horndal Hat and Scarf 51

Dorotea Pullover 54

Antoinette Vest 58

Bettna Long Cardigan 62

Viggeby Dog Coat 66

Lövlund Zigzag Sweater 69

Sursa Ruffled Shawl 72

Julita Tunic 74

Grinda Hat and Scarf 80

Mora Chevron Vest 83

Zamora Bolero 86

Jiutepec Cardigan 89

Rikardis Tunic 94

Adhara Brimmed Cap 98

Alegria Sleeveless Sweater 101

Kolsva Scoopneck Pullover 104

Margareta Shoulder Bag 107

Josefina Scalloped Sweater 110

Eleonore Scarf and Hat 114

Ulfhild Dog Sweater 117

Erendira Lace Sweater 120

Skeppsta Diamond Pane Pullover 123

Danbyholm Pullover 126

Sparreholm Hooded Vest 129

Rikissa Panel Cardigan 134

Stallarholmen Throw 140

� Yarns Used in This Book 144

� Worldwide Distributors 147

� Abbreviations, Skill Levels 148

Contents[

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Designing handknits is a creative process.Designing books, yet another.First, my warm and fond thanks to Trisha

Malcolm, vice president of Soho Publishingand publisher of Sixth&Spring Books, for makingthis book possible. Many thanks to editorsMichelle Bredeson and Wendy Williams forholding the reins of this project and keepingtrack of everything—including me, at times.Thanks to all the other people at Sixth&SpringBooks involved in the creation of this book.Thanks to my assistant, Madeleine Malmberg.Much love and thanks to my family and

friends who have supported my efforts overthe years.Last, and perhaps most importantly, a special

thanks to Mr. Eisaku Noro for producing theyarns all these years that have inspired me likeno other yarns.

Acknowledgments

This book is dedicated to Noro lovers everywhere!


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Introduction

My relationship with all that is Noro began in the early 1980s. I had just returned from a train trip

around Europe that I undertook to find direction in my professional life. The outcome was an

ambitious decision to pursue careers in both photography and hand-knit design. As fate would have

it, the design part of my decision quickly developed and pushed out the photography—at least for

the time being.

Upon my return to Manhattan I took a sales job atFiberworks, which was probably the most avant-garde yarn shop in New York at the time. Ownedby crochet designer Judith Copeland, Fiberworkswas more a gallery than a yarn shop, wherehandcrafted yarns from Noro lit up the shelves andwere featured in artfully displayed hand-knit garments.It was quite clear to me from the start that the

yarns produced by Noro were in a category alltheir own—vibrantly colorful, wonderfully texturaland excitingly different from all other yarns on offer.They quickly became my favorites to look at andknit with. And so they have remained ever since.For the past five years, it has been my great

fortune to be able to give form to the wonderfulyarns from Noro. For that I have Sion Elalouf at

Knitting Fever, Inc., to thank. He asked me createa book of hand knits using Noro yarns, and,needless to say, I jumped at the chance. One bookwas followed by four more in as many years.It has been a rare privilege to work with these

beautiful yarns in the expression of my creativity.That experience would in itself be gratifying enoughfor me, but to finally meet Eisaku Noro himself wasequally rewarding and a longtime dream come true.It is my pleasure to share with you what I learned

about Eisaku Noro and his company during myvisit to Japan in the early spring of 2008. You willalso find forty of my most popular designs thatfeature Noro yarns. I hope that working with theseremarkable yarns will give you as much pleasureand inspiration as it has given me.

[


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Noro: An Inside Look[

For me, it doesn’t get better than designing withNoro yarns. It’s a joy to explore the characteristicsof each new yarn and figure out ways ofshowcasing its individual personality. To design inthese yarns and not take into account their intrinsiccharacteristics, what I call the “ego” of each yarn,is to not fully acknowledge the brilliance of theirdevelopment.

I have come to believe that these yarns are asclose to art as we have in the industry. Theman behind them is an artist himself, and theseyarns are an expression of his spirit rather than just acommercial product. So much thought, skill andpassion are behind the development of these

The gratification of working with the ever-changing yarns from Noro has undeniably been one of the

greatest joys of my career. These yarns have accompanied me throughout the past 25 years, marking

changes in season, fashion and my own personal evolution as a designer. Each successive collection has

brought with it the excitement of new and often unexpected fiber combinations, textures and colorways.

Noro yarns are always well designed and different from all other yarns on the market.

beautiful yarns. I have learned over the years thatthere is a purpose behind the characteristics of eachspecific yarn. If one is rustic and somewhat rough tothe touch with vivid, sometimes clashing colors, well,that’s exactly how Eisaku Noro wants it to be!Likewise if a yarn is soft and earth-toned. For thepast three decades, Noro has succeeded throughhis products in mesmerizing his audience morecompletely than anyone else in the industry.

Even after working with Noro yarns anddesigning five books of designs featuring them, I stillhad not met the man behind the yarns! Not fromlack of curiosity, mind you, but Japan is a long wayfrom Sweden (my home since 1986), and the

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The spun yarn ready to be wound into skeins or hanks.

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Mr. Eisaku Noro—then and now.


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opportunity did not arise until I was doing researchfor this book. Over time and through working withhis yarns, I had developed my own idea aboutEisaku Noro. I hadn’t realized how specific it wasuntil it came time for my trip to Japan. It was onlythen that I began to entertain the possibility thatperhaps the image that I had built up of this personmight differ from the reality.

So it was with great anticipation, excitement anda sense of privilege that I embarked on the longjourney to Japan in March of 2008, for the purposeof meeting the legendary Eisaku Noro and learningmore about him and his life’s work.

The Man Behind the YarnsThe only picture I had ever seen of Eisaku Norowas a black-and-white photo taken roughly 35years ago. I have looked at that portrait many timesover the years, searching the features for someinsight into the mind of the man behind the yarns.To my eye, he hasn’t changed much from thatphoto; he is still trim, handsome and casuallyelegant. He is a simple, very focused man. A manat ease with himself and with others; a satisfiedman still at the peak of his senses. He is humble,gracious, generous and full of humor—a thinker, adoer, an artist. For me, meeting him was aninspiration and a confirmation of the image of himthat had taken shape over the years throughworking with his yarns.

Now 70, Eisaku Noro stays fit by walking an hourin the morning and again in the evening, through hisinterest in organic Japanese food and through his

continued passion for his work, which is his life. I getthe feeling that this is a man who will be working untilhe takes his last breath. It is obvious that every newday still brings new discoveries of color and formbased largely on an acute observation of nature andits rhythms, seasons, textures and colors. Mr. Noro’scalm dignity and humor were evident even thoughwe needed an interpreter to communicate.

The CompanyThe Noro offices are in a low unpretentiousbuilding in the town of Ichinomiya in CentralJapan—a region known for its yarn and textileproduction. It is where Eisaku Noro was raised.Impatient with school, Noro began working inthe yarn industry after his basic education inspinning and dyeing was completed. He quicklylearned the ropes. An innovator with an artisticeye even back then, Noro soon became frustratedwith the constraints of working for someone elseand, at age 30, branched out on his own. Henamed the line “The World of Nature,” and thatname is still printed on the label of every ball ofyarn. An earnest feeling for the purity in andpreservation of nature has been part of the Norophilosophy from the start.

I quickly realized that there has been virtuallyno deviation from the original spark that led EisakuNoro to start his own company to actualize hisideas about making yarns. This is all the moreremarkable, I now realize, against the backdrop ofthis conservative and tradition-steeped culture. Rightfrom the outset, he incorporated his reverence for

Noro: An Inside Look continued[



nature and his artistic sensibilities into the yarn hewas producing, the likes of which had never beenseen before. By specially adapting industrial cardingand spinning machines, Eisaku Noro was able toproduce yarns that were totally unique and that putmuch less strain on the environment than is usual inthe industry. The yarns were very colorful and aheadof their time. And they were not easy to sell. In fact,they were deemed by many as unsellable! Theywere simply too different from what people wereaccustomed to.

Several years after his company was founded,Noro met Sion Elalouf, who had seen the Noro yarnsat a trade show in Asia. Elalouf was laying thefoundation for his own company, Knitting Fever, Inc.,in the United States, and he immediately recognizedthe uniqueness of the product and the potential forselling Noro yarns on the North American market.The two men have been successfully doing businesstogether ever since.

Although in North America Noro yarns aremostly identified with hand-knitting, Noro has putextensive development into producing felted fabrics.The company also makes yarns used only in theproduction of ready-to-wear clothing. The yarnshave not escaped the interest of felting artists, whoappreciate the brilliance the colors and textures lendto their forms. About 30 percent of Noro’s hand-

knitting yarns are sold in some 200 yarn shops inJapan. The rest is exported throughout the world.

The Noro offices are humble by Westernstandards. There are no private workspaces in thelow-slung building; everyone has his or her owndesk and works in the same big, rectangular room.Mr. Noro’s desk is all the way in the back cornerand is very neat. There are several work tables forthe perusal of yarns and materials, and there is asmall sitting area by the entrance with a low tableand chairs for meetings with clients. Knittingswatches hang along the walls, and samplegarments are piled here and there near housedesigner Asaku Ishii’s work area. Spools, hanks,balls and cones of sample yarn are in another partof the room. This is a workplace full of color andcreative disarray. I might have visited too early towitness the beauty of the Japanese cherry blossoms,but the explosion of color that I encountered at theNoro offices was distinctly satisfying!

I had the honor of meeting several key members ofNoro’s staff. There is a sense of joy and ease amongthe employees, some of whom, like Asaku Ishii, havebeen with the company for over 25 years.

After visiting the main floor, I climbed a ricketyladder to the second floor where the colorworkshop is located. It is a tiny room in which thecolor combinations that Noro is so famous for are

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There is a sense of joy and ease among the employees, some of

whom...have been with the company for over 25 years.


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1 Kureyon color swatches. 2 Noro designer Junko Isaji. 3 Design samples. 4 Pattern swatches showcase the characteristicsof various Noro yarns. 5 From left to right: Noriko Yamada, who works in product development; Michiko Noda, translator;Ai Muramoto, who is in charge of environmental protection. 6 More pattern swatches! 7 The company archives. 8 Noriko,planning the next season's colorways.

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Dyed wool tufts used for creating the celebrated Noro colorways fill the color room.


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born. Shelves stuffed with folders fill the walls.The tables are covered with tufts of yarn in everycolor imaginable. The designers carefully choosefrom these tufts and arrange them on large sheetsof stiff paper. The chosen shades will become thenext season’s colorways for each different yarn.I mentioned to Noriko Yamada that I had some oldNoro yarns in my stash, and she was curious. Sheasked if I could send her pictures and samples. Iwondered if it was possible that they might not haveany routine for the documenting of yarns from yearsgone by. But somehow this would not surprise me.I can relate to the habit of moving steadily forward,thinking you will document thoroughly and neverquite getting around to it. Perhaps since there is nofear of lack of ideas, the focus is on movingforward. I promised to send her pictures andclippings of the yarns that I had.

The World of NatureIn recent years, the yarn industry has been activelypromoting awareness of ecological sustainability,but this concept has been part of the Norophilosophy from the beginning. Noro yarns havealways been at the forefront of the green movement,providing us with eco-friendly options since almost

before the term eco-friendly was coined. Thepreservation of nature is such an important part ofhis business that Mr. Noro leaves nothing to chanceand personally oversees every aspect of productionfrom sheep to yarn ball, including all machinery,labeling, yarn bags, boxes and even the garbagethat the company produces. There are restrictions inthe dyeing process to keep things environmentallyfriendly. For example, deep colors and black areoften created by blending different colored fibers.Quoting Mr. Noro, “Eco certification should not bebought. It should be an integral part of everybusiness.”

All the animal fibers used in the yarns areorganic. The farms they come from are certified,and the fibers are stringently checked for authenticityat all stages of their journey from the animal toJapan. Most of the wool fibers come from a specialbreed of sheep called Polwarth, which is raisedespecially for Noro on a farm in Australia. There isno mulesing (a controversial practice in which stripsof skin are removed from around a sheep’s buttocksto prevent infestation by flies), no unnecessarymedicines are administered and the sheep havetheir own drinking ponds. Noro checks the waterand soil on the farm, the sheep’s food and the

Noro yarns have always been at the forefront of the green

movement, providing us with eco-friendly options since almost

before the term eco-friendly was coined.



chemicals used in washing the wool. The companyalso conducts yarn analyses. Noro also gets someof its raw materials from other sources, includingwool from the Falkland Islands and kid mohair fromSouth Africa. And so on. All fiber sources arecarefully researched, vetted and certified. The fibersare then freighted to Japan and checked againbefore being turned into the wonderful yarns thatbear the Noro name.

The Production ProcessThe Noro company has been eco-friendly for over30 years. In addition to using raw materials thatare ecologically produced, the production of theyarns is geared to environmental preservation.Perhaps the greatest innovation is that the processof creating yarn has been shortened throughunique developments by Eisaku Noro himself inthe manufacturing machinery. These developmentsare not only beneficial from an environmentalstandpoint, but are also responsible for givingNoro yarns their unique handcrafted quality.

I asked Mr. Noro why he developed this newmethod of production. He replied, “Friction, rubbingand heat during processing weaken the fibers indirect proportion to the length of time they areprocessed. By dramatically shortening this processwe are preventing damage to the enzymes in the

fibers and simultaneously profiting the environment.”Environmental considerations are in the forefront

in the dyeing process, and each step is carefullycontrolled. The natural fibers are dyed using reactiveand acid dyes at cool temperatures and with a phbalance that is compatible with the fibers. Nylon iscolored with acid dyes and partially reactive dyes.

It was now time to walk to one of the plants andsee the actual production of the yarns. The first areawe entered had a big, heavy blower in it. Therewere bags of vibrantly dyed, semi-matted fiber tufts.Some were wool, some wool and silk, some wooland nylon. These tufts are moistened and then hand-fed into the blower which separates, loosens andmixes the fibers to facilitate the carding process. Thefibers are blown into a panelled room, and thereare gathered into large bags. These bags are thencarried over to the carding area.

The main part of the plant is dimly lit, perhaps tosave energy, making picture-taking a challenge.There is a serenity here, but also a sense of purpose.The feeling of urgency common to industrialproduction is absent. There is no question that theproduction going on here is actually a form ofhandcrafting—there is nothing much industrial aboutit at all.

We climbed atop the carding machine. Normallythis machine would have three big rollers, but Noro

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The feeling of urgency common to industrial production is absent.

There is no question that the production going on here is actually a

form of handcrafting—there is nothing much industrial about it at all.


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1 Rows of dyed fibers. 2 Dyed fibers are moistened before they go into the blower. 3 Fibers fly in the air of the blowingroom. 4 Fibers are weighed and arranged according to color scheme before carding. 5 and 6 The carding machine.7 Spools of carded fibers. 8 The spools are stored on racks to await spinning. 9 and 10 Close-ups of carded fibers.11 The spinning machine. 12 Fibers being spun—the last step to becoming Noro yarn.

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1 Shelves filled with sample garments provide a colorful backdrop in the showroom. 2 Freshly spun Iro yarn.3 and 4 Spools of colorful carded fibers await spinning. 5 Kureyon yarn—ready for knitting!


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uses only one, which shortens the carding processand lends more variation to the final thickness ofthe yarn. The fibers are weighed and the colorsare arranged by hand according to designatedspecifications. The fibers are then aligned and slowlyfed into the carding machine. Carding producesa strand of yarn that is not yet twisted. The machineworks at a deliberate pace, and the gauzy strandsthat are produced are slowly rolled onto big spools.These beautiful spools are stored on racks until theyarn is ready to be spun.

Next to the carding machine is a long spinningmachine called a mule. It runs smoothly, the strandsgently twisting back onto themselves on wooden pins.The rhythm of the spinning machine is mesmerizing,almost hypnotic. The bed of the machine has beenshortened to create less twist in the one-ply yarns. It isold and boasts the beautiful oiled patina that woodacquires after many years of careful use.

The yarns are then transported to another plantclose by, where they are steamed to set the twist,put up into skeins or hanks, and carefully labeledand bagged.

Noro’s modifications to the blowing, cardingand spinning processes reaps a total energysavings of 46 percent as compared to typical yarnindustry standards. Because of these adjustments tothe process, the plant is less dusty, less noisy and

has less chemical smell than is usually found in ayarn manufacturing plant. No waste is generated.

Years ago I came to regard each skein of Noroyarn as an individual. They are all different. NowI can really understand why. Having seen how theyarns are produced has only deepened my respectfor Noro yarns.

The Future of NoroWhile still very much at the forefront of running hiscompany, it is clear that Mr. Noro’s aim is to keepthe business prospering even after he has passedthe reins to his son, Takuo Noro, who has beenworking in the Noro company as operationsmanager for more than a decade. This seems asnatural to him as the environmental sustainability ofthe products and the endurance of the philosophyand work ethic that he has created. There is atangible pride among the Noro employees and arespect for their workplace and purpose.

Within the macrocosm of Japanese culture, theNoro company can be seen as a microcosm withits own traditions and values. Undeniably themanifestation of one man’s spirit, the company hassprouted from the old but not broken with it,providing instead a sense of continuity betweenwhat has been and what will be in the ongoingevolution of Japanese culture. �

Within the macrocosm of Japanese culture, the Noro company

can be seen as a microcosm with its own traditions and values.


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Jacaranda Wrap Top

[My inspiration for this shapely top was an ordinary envelope. The back is straight and

the shaping is produced by wrapping and tying the front pieces around the body.

The body is knit in Blossom, and the edging is knit in Cash Iroha.

SizesS (M, L)

Finished Measurements� Bust approx 33 (35½, 38)"/84 (90,96.5)cm� Length approx 25½ (26¼, 27)"/65 (66.5,68.5)cm

Yarn200 (250, 300)g Blossom #0650 (50, 50)g Cash Iroha #111

NeedlesOne pair each size 9 and 11 (5.5 and 7mm)straight needles or size to obtain gauge

Gauges12 sts/24 rows = 4"/10cm withBlossom and size 11 (7mm) needles in Gst15 sts/21 rows = 4"/10cm with CashIroha and size 9 (5.5mm) needles in St stTake time to check gauge.

NOTES� The edging will naturally roll to the inside,so no additional finishing is necessary.� Make sure to bind off edging looselyor it will pull together and cause the fabricto pucker.� If you have trouble locating Blossom, thispattern can be knit in Kochoran using the sameamount of yarn and size needles.

I-CORD TIECast on 4 sts.Row 1 Knit.Row 2 Slip all sts.

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